The Importance of Bilingual Education

Why would we want young children to learn a second language while they are focused on learning their primary one? It seems like this would be learning overload at a time when they are also learning how to be friends, count, play on the playground and so much more. However, this is a time in our lives when acquiring a second language comes very naturally.

Between the ages of 0 and three, the brains of young children are uniquely suited to learn a second language, as the brain is in its most flexible stage. In fact, bilingually exposed infants excelled in detecting a switch in language as early as six months old. They can learn a second language as easily as they learned to walk and learn their primary language.

The benefits of bilingual education extend beyond school walls. Students who are proficient in more than one language often have better problem-solving skills, greater cognitive flexibility, and a deeper understanding of different cultures.

I strongly believe that babies exposed to books, reading, and songs in another language have a huge impact on their development. I started reading to my children when they were babies and by the time they were about a year old, they could identify about 20 different books both in English and in Spanish.

The most important things in language development are exposure and need. If children are exposed to a language in a variety of circumstances with many different people from the time they are born, and if they feel they need the language to interact with the world around them, they will learn it. If they are exposed to two languages in varied circumstances with different people from the moment they are born, and if they need both languages to communicate with the people around them, they will learn both.

Most people bring up the practical aspects of bilingualism as their first reason for wanting to raise bilingual children. Travel is a good practical idea to start younger children on; job opportunities are greater now that globalization has brought a lot of changes and new work positions into the market.

Learning two languages early in life makes it easier to acquire more later in life. So, if you want your child to converse in many languages in his adult life, start with teaching him a second language now.